Curtain fixture



Qct. 1, 1,935. w. s. HAMM CURTAIN FIXTURE Filed July 28, 195s Patented oct. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES CURTAIN FIXTURE William S. Hamm, Elkhart, Ind., assignor to The Adlake Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application July 28, 1933, Serial No. 682,562

3 Claims.

This invention has to do with curtain fixtures of the type` ordinarily used in the windows of railway cars and buses, which` type includes a tube for insertion in the hem of a spring-raised curtain and headsat the ends of the tube for engagement within grooved guides at the sides of the window opening. The objectof the-invention is to provide an improved curtain xture head which can be used advantageously `with aluminum guides Ywithout scuing up the metal ofthe guides, willhold the curtain iirmly against slippage, will not allow the curtain to become canted with respect to the window, is absolutely noiseless, is light in weight, and is very inexpensive to manufacture.

Other more specific objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a further understanding of the construction, arrangement and operation of the improved head structure.

Three dierent embodiments of the invention are presented herein for the purpose of exempliiication, but it will of course be appreciated that the invention is susceptible of being embodied in other structurally modified forms coming equally within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is an inside view of the lower portion of a car window equipped with the improved curtain xture;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through one side of the window, taken on the lineZ-Z of Fig. 1, showing one end of the curtain fixture;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of one corner of the curtain, showing the adjacent curtain fixture head removed from the groove in the guide;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are top, side and vertically sectioned views of a structurally modified form of the head; and

l Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are corresponding views of another structurally modified form of the head.

The embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in Figs. 1 4 inclusive will first be described. As will be observed in those views, the curtain fixture includes a metal tube In of small circular cross section which is positioned in a hem II in the lower edge of a spring-raisedscurtain I2. Heads I3 are mounted in the ends of Y the tube, and rods I4 extend from the heads through the tube to pinch handles I5 which project from a slot in one side of the tube at about the center of the latter. Springs I6 are compressed in the tube between suitably located abutments yassociated with the heads and tube for forcing the heads outwardly away from the ends of the tube into engagement with the bottoms of grooves I1 in curtain guides I8 at the sides of the window opening. When the pinch handles I5 are f" e pressed together, the springs I 6 will yield and the curtain I2 can be moved up and down in the guides I8, but when the handles I5 are released, the springs will press the heads rmly against the guides, and the resulting friction will pre- 1d vent the curtain from moving.

The heads I3'are of T-shaped formation and are characterized by vertically extending end portions and horizontally extending stem portions. The heads differ from those heretofore employed 15 in thatthey are entirely free from any movable parts, such as rollers, camssprings and hinges. On the contrary, they are saliently characterized by the presence of rubber friction shoes I9. The

shoes I9 are vertically elongated strips which are o mounted in grooves 20 in the outer edges o-f sheet metal holders 2|. The holders 2| are of rigid formation and are provided with Acylindrical portions 22 which telescope slidingly within the ends of the tube and are attached inside of the latter 25 to the ends of the previously described rods I4. The rubber shoes I9 are of T-shaped cross section and are disposed with their center ribs 23 in the grooves 26, where they are held iirmly in position by transxing rivets Z4. The laterally ex- 3 tending flanges 25 of the shoes abut against the outer edges 26 of the holders 2| and project laterally beyond the side faces of the holders, Whereby to maintain the latter centered in the grooves I'I in spaced relation to the sides thereof. The 5 flat outer edges 21 of the shoes I9 are preferably straight and extend the full height of the heads. As best shown in Fig. 3, the upper and lower ends of the metal holders 2l recede from the corresponding ends of the. flat outer edges 21 of the 40 rubber shoes I9, leaving V-shaped openings therebetween and rendering the tips only of the heads I3 resiliently yieldable with respect to the remaining portions.

In the modied embodiment which is shown in 45 Figs. 5-'7 inclusive, the head 28, instead of being composed of a sheet metal holder and a separate rubber shoe, as in the first described embodiment, is made almost entirely of rubber, in T- shaped form. The vertically extending portion 23 of the head is straight and is widened out along both sides of its outer edge, as shown at 3i), and the horizontally extending portion 3| is cylindrical in form and is grooved intermediate its ends to accommodate a sheet `metal ferrule 32, which is of slightly less diameter than the portion 3l. This difference in diameter prevents direct metal-to-metal contact between the head and the tube l0 in which its slides. The ferrule 32 is preferably molded into the portion 3l and forms an anchorage for a small rivet 33 which passes through the ferrule into the end of the rod I4. f

In the form of the invention which is shown in Figs. 8-10 inclusive, the portion of the head 34 which projects from the tube l!) is again of solid one-piece rubber formation, but the stem portion 35 of the head is comparatively short and is molded into the outer end of an adapter sleeve 36, which sleeve telescopes over and is riveted to the adjacent end of the rod I4.

The improved curtain fixture head will give excellent results when the guides i8 are made of aluminum, notwithstanding the fact that ordinary Yheads give a great deal of trouble when Aused against aluminum. It will of course be understood however that the improved head is also intended for use with all other kinds of guides. The improved` head gives a good grip, will slide freely without any binding when the spring pressure is released, is noiseless, and, in the forms Vshown in Figs. 5-10 inclusive, the slight flexibility at the base of the neck portion seems to augment the gripping action when any force is applied tending to cant the fixture as a whole.

I claim: n

14. In a curtain fixture, a tube for insertion in a hem in the lower edge of a curtain, and a T- shaped head of substantially rigid form positioned with its stem slidably mounted in the end of the tube, said head consisting of a vertically elony gated sheet metal holder of outwardly opening U-shaped cross section, and a straight faced rubber strip in the holder provided with laterally extending shoulders for abutment with the outer edges of the side Walls of the holder, said outer edges of the side Walls being straight throughout the major portions of their lengths and being set back adjacent their ends, and said strip extending the full height of the holder with the end portions of the shoulders spaced from the set back outer edges of the side walls.

2. In a curtain fixture, a tube for insertion in a hem in the lower edge of a curtain, an outwardly spring-pressed rod in the tube, a T-shaped head which is positioned with its stern slidably mounted in the end of the tube in xed telescopic association with the outer end of the rod, said stem having a groove therearound, and a ferrule of less diameter than the stem positioned within said groove inthe latter and riveted to the rod.

3. In a curtain fixture, a tube for insertion in a hem in the lower edge of a curtain, an outwardly spring-pressed rod in the tube, a T-shapedv the tube when the rod is in its outwardly pressed position, whereby to permit the vertically extending portion of the head to flex with respect to the stem portion at the point of junction with the latter.

WILLIAM S` HAMM. 

